Medical Terminology & Anatomy Flashcards

Which suffix means 'incision into' or 'cutting into'?

Answer: -tomy

The suffix -tomy means incision into, as in appendectomy vs. appendotomy — -tomy cuts in, -ectomy removes.

The term 'osteoporosis' literally translates to:

Answer: Porous bone condition

Osteo- means bone, por- means porous, and -osis means condition, so osteoporosis is literally a porous bone condition.

Which abdominal region is located in the upper middle area of the abdomen?

Answer: Epigastric

The epigastric region is the upper middle region of the abdomen, located above the stomach area.

The prefix 'poly-' means:

Answer: Many or much

Poly- means many or much, as seen in polyuria (excessive urine production) and polycythemia (excess red blood cells).

Which combining form relates to the gallbladder?

Answer: Cholecyst/o

Cholecyst/o specifically refers to the gallbladder, while choledoch/o refers to the common bile duct and chol/o means bile.

The term 'subcutaneous' means:

Answer: Beneath the skin

Sub- means below or beneath, and cutaneous relates to skin, so subcutaneous means beneath the skin.

Which directional term means toward the back of the body?

Answer: Posterior (dorsal)

Posterior (also called dorsal) refers to the back surface of the body, opposite of anterior (ventral).